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SWINGING SKIRTS LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY CTBCApril 25, 2015Morgan PresselSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA MORGAN PRESSEL: I wouldn't say it was the absolute very best I could've played, but I certainly kept control of the golf ball in the wind. It was a completely differently golf course today. It was very interesting with all the rain overnight. I don't know exactly how much, but for instance, on the seventh hole I have been hitting 9‑iron into that hole the last couple days. Today I needed a 5‑wood. I mean, that was probably the most dramatic of the difference, ure but the course has been so firm the first few days in the way my drives are releasing, and today it was completely different. So you had much longer shots in and much more wind. So it was a different golf course, but I think that Brock and I handled it well kind of adjusting our game plan when we needed to. I was very, very solid with the putter today as well. THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. With the third‑place finish at ANA and just finishing a shot out of the playoff, can you speak to how far your game and confidence has come in the last, what, month or so? MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, I mean, it's come a long way. A lot of things have happened. I've certainly worked a lot on my golf swing with Ron, and I mean, I'm probably halfway there kind of in terms of halfway between my old swing and the swing where I would like it to be. But it's repeatable enough for me, and I'm still continuing to work on it to where I can get out there and pick a target and commit to it. I also, about the same time, switched golf balls to play the Callaway Chrome Soft. Every time I play in the wind I just think that it performs‑‑ it certainly goes further in general under normal circumstances, but it's probably one of the best wind golf balls I've ever played with. Really, really feel like I have more control over it. I mean, like I said, I just stand up there and I feel like I can commit to my targets more than I have been able to recently. That's a big deal. Q. Last year you were in the midst of some struggles. Speak to where your confidence has come from being on this course last year to this year again? MORGAN PRESSEL: Night and day difference. I mean, I remember standing over every tee shot last year thinking that the fairways are about five yards wide. I spent a lot of time in the trees. I hit a few drives that I didn't like, but for the most part I mean. The fairways look much wider to me this year. I guess that speaks o how comfortable I feel over the golf ball, too. Q. How long as far as making a golf swing and being comfortable with it, how long does it take for you to be comfortable with it once you start making change? MORGAN PRESSEL: For me, it probably took me about two weeks. The first week of the change I was severely in the middle. Totally uncomfortable with it. I've really, really worked hard. I've been very diligent on the range. A lot of it has to do with my tempo so I can get into the right place. I've put in a lot of time to try to hit it where I would like it to be. I video my swing almost every day and just kind of keep tabs on it. I know in regresses a little bit on the golf course, but that's natural where your tendencies kind of come out under pressure. I also can self‑correct. When I hit a shot, I know what I need to do to fix it on the next one. Q. I noticed on the 18th hole, on your wedge shot, you played it back to center and downwind. Do you play most of your wedge shots back to center, or is it just because of the wind conditions? MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, I mean, I probably play the balls further back I think than most players. But it's something that Brock actually reminds me on every wedge shot over the last couple weeks, because it started to get a little too far forward and I swung too much up on it. I've always played the ball back, and a little bit back of center is the most comfortable place for me. I can really compress the golf ball. Q. Couple mundane questions: Brock I take it is your caddie. MORGAN PRESSEL: Correct. Q. His last name? MORGAN PRESSEL: His name a Barry Cesarz, C‑e‑s‑a‑r‑z. Everybody knows him as Brock. Q. And Ron is? MORGAN PRESSEL: Ron Stockman is my golf coach. Yeah. Q. About a decade ago you were in the same position as Ms. Henderson and Ms. Ko. What did you learn from that, and what advice would you impart to them? MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, it's very impressive to watch the young girls. To think that that was me is kind of crazy. I've certainly never had nearly the success Lydia has had, and she's handled it all with an incredible smile and extreme poise. So it's been very impressive to watch as a competitor and colleague and friend. She and Brooke both bring tremendous tenacity and fire. They know they can do it. They step up to that tee and there is and no fear. Not to say that a few develop, but as you play out here more and more, I think sometimes the younger that you are the more naive you are to all the pressure and everything else that goes with it. I mean, look at how strong Brooke played yesterday and today. I don't know where she is now. I can't see the board. I've been watching her for a long time, since the first time I played with her at the Canadian Open. Had to be maybe four, five years ago. Not sure of the exact date there. But I watched her then and was it incredibly impressive. I knew she would be something special out on our tour as well. Q. You played with her four years ago at the Canadian Open. Have you played with her since? MORGAN PRESSEL: I believe I may have played with her one other time; not totally positive on that. We kept in touch, and every time I see her, how are doing, how is it going. I've been following her career and it's been very, very impressive so far. Q. Talking about Lydia or... MORGAN PRESSEL: Brooke. Follow, jeez. Q. You had some nice birdies out there. Talk about your save on 17. MORGAN PRESSEL: That was probably one of the biggest moments of the day for me. That bunker shot, I mean, I don't want to say I was in between clubs, but I thought the ball would jump a little bit more out of the rocks. Kind of caught it high on the face so it did the opposite and came up short. Very, very long bunker shot over that ridge, and I took my 50‑degree wedge and just kind of figured if I caught it solidly or just with a little bit of sand it would fly further and spin. If I caught it a little heavy, which is what I did, it would come out and just release up to the hole. That was a big, what, probably six feet? I was very excited when I made that putt. Yeah, kept the momentum of the good round going. Q. How much do you look at the leaderboard during the day? Could you speak to the importance of your back nine considering how much ground you had to make up at some point? MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, I looked at the leaderboard a little bit. I played well on the first few holes. I just didn't really get any putts to go in. Started out with what, seven pars? I gave myself opportunities, which was what I wanted to do so in this wind. Figured a few would go in. Made good putts on 8 and 9. Definitely could have made birdie on 10. But then to kind of get through the 12th hole, I knew that‑‑ I mean, I knew I was quite far behind from Brooke especially, but even the rest of the field was, what, at 5, 6‑‑ I guess I was at 5 at that point. But I knew that I needed to catch up and make some birdies. I think I played the holes that I knew I could be more aggressive with well. I think I got lucky on 16 to make birdie there. I made a great putt, but the shot that I hit in wasn't exactly what I had envisioned. Ended up 15 feet, which on that hole was pretty good. Just finished with a nice birdie on 18. Q. You had to work your way through your own challenges, the injury, and then what that did to your swing. How does having gone through that affect your appreciation for where you are right now? MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, I think I'm just really enjoying the moment; really enjoying the competence that I have; certainly enjoying being able to practice without any pain, because it was probably about a year, year to a year and a half where I definitely struggled with my left arm in general. I just have a great physio who helps me stay in check every day just so that nothing ever really bothers me out on the golf course. To feel good out there mentally and physically is great. Certainly to be in contention the last few weeks has been really nice. Q. Two‑part question. Will you sleep well tonight? What would winning a tournament after about a seven‑year drought mean to you? MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, I mean, I'm sure I'll sleep well tonight. It was quite a grind out there. That can take something out of you with all that wind. But I mean, it would mean the world to win for sure. All I've been trying to do is put myself in position. I know I'm capable of it, and I certainly will need a good round tomorrow. But whether it's this week, next week, within the next month, I just feel really good about where my game is headed. I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself, but just focus on each swing and trying to get my body to do what I want it to do and my mind to cooperate as well. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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